birdwatching blogs

The lake is full. Wintering Mallards and Gulls already migrated. I saw only 5-7 Garganeys probably were on migrate pass. Over the water Common Swifts, House Martins and Barn Swallows flew. A lot of Black Kites. Most interesting birds today are Grebes. One some bigger was Black-necked Grebe and lesser one was Little Grebe. The kayakers trained on the lake and Grebes were some disquiet. But even kayakers left from the lake Grebes still clung the center of the lake. [...... read more ]

On morning time Martins appeared again, but in less number. Saw the large light Falcon sat on the juniper in high slope. The pair of Carrion Crows tried to send off Falcon from the juniper, finally they did it. Falcon flew out to high mountains, its light color was noticed very good. On morning Tits were very active. I saw all three local Tits - Turkestan Tit, Black-breasted Tit and Yellow-breasted Tit. Black-breasted Tit has white neck like a Coal Tit. Altogether this Tit looks like Coal Tit but has more black on the breast, dark grey belly and larger crest. And Coal Tit lives in coniferous woods but Black-breasted Tit in the mountain foliar woods. Trip to the mountain. Blue-capped Redstart, female Chaffinch, White-winged Woodpecker. Raptors were Cinereous Vulture, Falcon which I saw at morning time, Long-legged Buzzards. Falcon was some lesser than Buzzards, very light with dark bar on the tail like on a Peregrine Falcon. Long-legged Buzzards built the nest on the rocks, both birds carried [...... read more ]

At early morning to my surprise birds were a little. Yellow-breasted and Turkestan Tits sang the songs. First time I heard song of Streaked Laughingthrush, the song isn't intricate, common whistle. In first I even thought that it was human's whistle. The Martins (look like House Martin) arrived, on morning I saw several tens birds. Martins actively explored old nests which are a lot. At dinner time Woodpecker came again, but Woodpecker doesn't like attention to self person. When I stopped only, Woodpecker moved to other side of the branch and after flew out. Before the dinner I climbed to the slope. On the low belt some times saw Black Redstarts, always by pairs, once the pair of Stonechats. The male Stonechat was absolutely known, but female looked some greenish to me. Both Stonechats and Black Redstarts searched feed on the damp ground. Climbed some higher some times I saw the flying Grey-headed Goldfinches. Some higher on the high junipers I saw the pair of Blue-capped Redstarts. Heard [...... read more ]

The sun comes to the gorge later (about 7.30 am), but already at 6.00 am birds begin to sing. At morning I saw all yesterday's birds exclude Black-breasted Tit. Probably all birds live nearby sanatorium. White-winged Woodpeckers arrived two times, once before the dinner time I saw the pair and once male only. Today Woodpeckers fed not on ground but on the walnut tree, but drummed very easy. Turkestan and Yellow-breasted Tits were noticed regularly. Yellow-breasted Tits began the spring games, flew with songs by pairs or sometimes by three birds. One Yellow-breasted Tit explored the hollow on the walnut tree. The pair of Rock Nuthatches arrived, once the male Nuthatch sang the song. Some times I saw Long-legged Buzzards over the rocks. After the dinner time the Lammergeier flew by. On the dry slopes of the gorge there were a bit of birds. I saw one Yellow-breasted Tit and the pair of Bramblings (male and female) only. Passing in the gorge river already was not full free from the ice. Above [...... read more ]

“Hoja Obigarm” sanatorium is placed in the high of same named gorge. From the window of my room I saw the pair of Turkestan Tits and the pair of Yellow-breasted Tits. Unfortunately I came to sanatorium at evening time, the sun was down, but I made to see Blackbirds, Black-throated Thrushes, Masked Wagtails, Tree Sparrows, Carrion Crows, one male Chaffinch, Streaked Laughingthrushes, pair of White-winged Woodpeckers and one very beauty singing Black-breasted Tit. All birds include Woodpeckers fed on the ground. [...... read more ]

The wild apricot trees begin to bloom in Dushanbe also. Warm day. There were a lot Masked Wagtails on Dushanbe outskirts. Varzob gorge is one of the most popular rest places of Dushanbe people. All around when it's possible there are tea-houses. It was cold in the gorge, some places were snow. Birds were not a lot. Masked and Grey Wagtails, one White-bellied Dipper, one White-capped Redstart. Several very little birdies on the another bank of Varzob. Female Eversmann's Redstart. More wild places are not in Varzob gorge but in secondary gorges less habitable to human's live. Hoja Obigarm gorge. On the high part of gorge there are hot wells and sanatorium. Yet a lot of snow in the gorge. Many Carrion Crows. In the rocks we found nest of Rock Nuthatch. Many large raptors. Flock of Eurasian Griffon-Vultures about six-seven bird soared in the sky. One Long-legged Buzzard, one Common Buzzard, two Lammergeiers. Lammergeiers flew low looking to goats grazed on the slopes. From afar saw a little [...... read more ]

Day is hot but cloudy. It's very hot in the Vakhsh valley. Apricot trees bloom all around in the valley. In some places green grass cleaves. From Dushanbe till Kurgan-Tube everywhere Black Kites milled in the sky. Today I saw about ten flocks of Black Kites each about 10 birds. On Kurgan-Tube's market saw flying hawk. In the Tajikistan's birds list I didn't find Goshawk, but I think to Goshawk because Hawk was very large. At sight Hawk living on the market Laughing Doves rushed right and left. Little birdies were Larks and once flock of Common Starlings. Alpine Swifts already fly in the villages. Large soaring raptors are exactly more noticeable than small passerines. I saw two Long-legged Buzzards, two Imperial Eagles, one Hen Harrier and one Upland Buzzard. On the rock talus Tohir beheld arrived Long-legged Buzzard. It's happen that Buzzards nest on the rock. Sitting on the nest bird is absolutely unnotable. Reddish color of Buzzard's plumage so good accords to color of reddish rocks. [...... read more ]

Third record of Woodchat Shrike in Kazakhstan. During one week male and female were observed in one spot. Previously observed also in Mangyshlak peninsula, Aktau city at May 03 2015 and May 08 2019 (A.Yasko).

Generaly rare observation in Kazakhstan. Only 4 birds were observed before this record: one bird was shot at October 16, 1927 in Syrdaria by E.Spengenberg; other 3 were photographed at February 16, 2013 near Almaty (V.Fedorenko), at October 15 and 16, 2016 in Ust-Kamenogorsk (V.Kolesnikov). First record in Kurgaldzhino.